🐾Dogs & cats · from the US, UK & EU

Bring your pet.
Skip the panic.

Every step and deadline for moving abroad with your dog or cat — microchip, vaccines, blood tests, permits, certificates and airline rules — checked against official government sources.

Check my route — free Browse 109 routes

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109routes

8rule changes tracked

30 secto your timeline

AI-generated illustration: a woman with a border collie and a ginger cat ready to fly at a sunny airport

✅ Rules checked Oct 28, 2026

USA → France · DogOn track

✓Microchip + rabies shotdone
✓21-day waitdone
·EU certificate + USDA stampin 10 days

Rules sourced fromUSDA APHISCDCEuropean CommissionGOV.UKCanada CFIAJapan MAFFAustralia DAFFNZ MPIBorder Pets is independent — not affiliated with these agencies.

Why it matters

One wrong date can cost you months

Every country has its own order of steps. Miss one and your pet waits — or doesn't fly at all.

⏳

180 days

The minimum wait after a rabies blood test before your pet can land in Japan or Australia.

Source: Japan MAFF · USDA APHIS

🛂

4 months

Possible quarantine in Great Britain if the pet-entry rules are broken.

Source: GOV.UK

✈️

Sent back

Dogs that don't meet US entry rules are refused entry by the CDC.

Source: CDC

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$4,000–6,000+

What many single-pet international moves cost with a relocation company.

Source: Starwood Pet Travel 2026 cost report

How it works

Your pet's travel plan in three steps

Pick your route and date

Choose where you're flying from, where you're going and when.

Get every deadline

Each step — microchip, shots, tests, permits, certificates — with the date it's due, wherever the rules set one.

Fly with confidence

Follow the plan, check the official sources we link and get reminders with your personal plan.

How we check the rules

Every deadline traced to an official source

No forums, no old blog posts. Each step on Border Pets links to the government page it comes from.

🏛️

Only official sources

Every step comes from a government page — 16 agencies so far, from USDA and GOV.UK to Japan’s quarantine service. Each route lists the pages it uses.

📅

Dates only where the rules set them

If a rule sets a deadline, we turn it into a date for your trip. If it doesn’t, we say so in words instead of guessing. Where we leave a safety margin, the step says so.

🔁

Re-checked and dated

All 109 routes were last checked against their sources on Oct 28, 2026. Every page shows its check date, and rule changes go into our news.

Sources we useUSDA APHIS Australia DAFF Canada CFIA Danish DVFA German Customs Ireland DAFM Japan MAFF Malta VRD NZ MPI Norway Mattilsynet Singapore AVS Swiss FSVO Royal Thai Embassy GOV.UK CDC EU · Your Europe

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll check it against the source.

Free route check

Can your pet make it in time?

Pick your route and travel date. We'll lay out every step with its deadline.

Flying from

Going to

Pet

Travel date

🐾 Personal plan — BellaUSA → Japan

PetDog · 3 yrs

Fly onJun 12, 2027

Start byNov 12

✓Microchip + rabies shot #1Nov 12
✓Rabies shot #2Dec 12
·Blood test (≥ 0.5 IU/ml)Dec 14
·Notify Japan quarantineMay 3
·Vet exam + USDA stampJun 2–12

Personal plan

Every date, worked out for your trip

The free check shows the rules. The personal plan turns them into your own calendar.

Dated checklist for your exact pet and route
Every step with the day it must be done by.
Calendar reminders before every deadline
Google, Apple or Outlook — no more counting days in your head.
Travel-day document checklist
The papers your route needs, so nothing is left at home.

Build my plan See a sample PDF

Routes

109 routes, one clear plan each

Taking a dog or cat from the US, the UK or the EU — difficulty, lead time and every step at a glance.

6 mistakes that ground pets

Microchip after the rabies shot

In the EU, UK and Japan a rabies vaccine given before the microchip does not count. You vaccinate again and the 21-day wait starts over.

Missing the 10-day endorsement window

EU and UK certificates from the US must be endorsed by USDA within 10 days of arrival. Get it endorsed too early and it is no longer valid when you land.

Booking an airline that bans your breed

Alaska, Hawaiian, Lufthansa, KLM, Delta and American keep short-nosed dogs and cats out of the cargo hold.

Read the guide →

Wrong tapeworm timing

Dogs entering the UK need treatment 24–120 hours before landing; Ireland, Finland, Malta and Norway 1–5 days before.

Read the guide →

Starting too late for Japan, Australia or New Zealand

Blood tests and 180-day waits mean you need to start about 7 months before you fly.

Trusting an old blog post

Rules changed in 2026 alone for the EU, the UK, Mexico and several airlines. Always check the date and the official source.

Pet travel news

What changed recently

Rule changes that affect your trip, each with its official source.

Coming upApr 01, 2027

New Zealand tightens microchip ID checks from April 2027

Dogs and cats arriving from 1 April 2027 need a three-part ID check by two different vets before the rabies blood test.

Official source →

EUOct 01, 2026

New EU health certificates for pets from the US

A new non-commercial certificate format is now required for dogs, cats and ferrets going from the US to the EU. Old versions could only be endorsed until 30 September.

Official source →

AirlinesOct 01, 2026

Alaska, Hawaiian and Horizon stop flying short-nosed pets in the hold

Certain brachycephalic dog and cat breeds are no longer accepted in the cargo hold. Lufthansa, KLM, Delta and American already restrict them.

Source →

MexicoAug 03, 2026

Mexico now requires a screwworm inspection certificate for dogs

Dogs entering Mexico from the US need an NWS inspection certificate signed by an accredited vet no more than 5 days before arrival. No USDA endorsement needed.

Official source →

UKJul 30, 2026

UK–EU deal: multi-use pet passports expected from mid-2027

GOV.UK says the planned SPS agreement will let British owners get a multi-use pet passport for EU travel. It is expected to take effect in mid-2027, subject to negotiations — until then every trip needs an animal health certificate.

Official source →

UKApr 22, 2026

British residents: pet passports no longer get your pet into the EU

Residents of England, Scotland and Wales need a new animal health certificate for every trip to the EU — even if their pet passport was issued in the EU.

Official source →

Read our pet travel guides

Jet the border collie and Lag the ginger cat in a red suitcase

Meet your guides

Jet & Lag

Jet asks the questions every pet parent has. Lag, the calm one, knows the rules. Together they explain pet travel in 30-second videos.

Plans

Start free. Go personal when you're ready.

Route check

Free

For a quick answer

109 routes from the US, UK & EU
Every step with its deadline
Official sources for each rule

Check my route

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Personal plan

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PDF plan dated for your exact route and pet
Calendar reminders before every deadline
Travel-day documents, airline and breed check

Build my plan See a sample plan (PDF)

Coming soon

Complex routes

On request

Japan, Australia, New Zealand…

Help planning 6–8 month routes
Introductions to pet relocation specialists

Tell us your route

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FAQ

Questions pet parents ask

How early should I start?

From the US to the EU or UK, about 3–4 weeks is the minimum if your pet still needs a rabies shot. Japan, Australia and New Zealand need about 7 months because of blood tests and 180-day waiting periods. Use the route check for your exact dates.

Does my pet need a rabies titer (blood) test?

Not for the EU or the UK when you travel from the US. Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UAE require one. Japan counts its 180-day wait from the blood draw; Australia counts 180 days from the day the sample reaches the lab.

Can my dog fly in the cabin?

Many airlines allow small pets under the seat, but flights into Great Britain only carry pets in the hold (assistance dogs excepted), and some routes — like the UAE — require manifested cargo.

My dog is a French bulldog or pug. Can it fly?

Often only in the cabin. Alaska, Hawaiian, Lufthansa, KLM, Delta and American don’t accept short-nosed breeds in the cargo hold. Bigger flat-faced dogs usually need a specialist pet shipper.

What is a USDA endorsement?

Your USDA-accredited vet fills in the destination’s health certificate, then USDA APHIS checks and endorses it — often digitally through VEHCS. Many countries require it within a set number of days before travel.

What happens if I get it wrong?

Depending on the country: refused boarding, the pet sent back at your cost, or quarantine — up to 4 months in Great Britain and up to 180 days in Japan.

Is Border Pets a pet shipping company?

No. We turn official government rules into a clear plan and point you to the sources. We are not a vet or a shipper, and this is not legal or veterinary advice.

Do you cover trips from the UK or the EU?

Yes. Pick "Flying from: United Kingdom" or "European Union" in the route check. From Great Britain we cover every EU country and Norway — with the animal health certificate you now need for every trip — plus the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Singapore. From the EU we cover other EU countries, Norway, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Singapore.

How current are the rules?

Every country page lists its official sources and the date we last checked them (Oct 28, 2026). We track rule changes in our news section.

Bring your pet.Skip the panic.

One wrong date can cost you months

Your pet's travel plan in three steps

Pick your route and date

Get every deadline

Fly with confidence

Every deadline traced to an official source

Only official sources

Dates only where the rules set them

Re-checked and dated

Can your pet make it in time?

Every date, worked out for your trip

109 routes, one clear plan each

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hong Kong

Hungary

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Mexico

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Bring your pet.
Skip the panic.